A huge Chinese bike-sharing scheme is coming to Manchester and Salford… and it’s WAY better than the Boris bikes

A ‘Boris-style’ bike hiring scheme will be launched in Manchester and Salford – with a thousand bikes to be rolled out this mont. The M.E.N can exclusively reveal the service will start on Thursday, June 29, and it could revolutionise our cities. Beijing-based Mobike is the world’s largest bike-sharing company, running cycle hire schemes across Singapore and China. The nifty high-tech aluminium machines have airless tyres, a GPS tracker, built-in lock and a cashless smartphone app. By downloading the app, finding a nearby Mobike and scanning its code, users will be able to pick up and ride bikes around the cities. Aimed at getting more people on two wheels for short trips, it will also help tackle congestion and dangerous pollution levels. It’s not yet known if they will be dubbed ‘Burnham Bikes’ – but an ‘iconic bike-hire scheme’ was among the new mayor’s manifesto pledges.